Pan Con Queso — Restaurant in Portland

I recently started working in a new office, and with that came the excitement of exploring all the new dining options nearby and, of course, cross-referencing them on Yelp. One place, in particular, caught my eye: Pan Con Queso. I browsed their menu and immediately noticed a pizza named “El Kevin (McCallister).” I thought, "OMG, I have to go there ASAP!" (For reference, my social media handles are inspired by “Home Alone”, which is one of my all-time favorite movies.)

As I looked over the rest of the menu, I saw “El Chingon,” a pepperoni and pineapple pizza with a Latin/Mexican flair. In my opinion, pepperoni and pineapple is a far superior and more underrated combination of toppings than the standard Hawaiian that everyone gets. Growing up, I thought I was the only one who loved this combo, but I later discovered that there is a small yet passionate and devoted fan base for it. IFKYK. I was torn between the two, but I knew I couldn’t just add this place to my TDL, I had to go TODAY! I pulled up PCQ on Google Maps and headed there after work, only to find out they had moved locations. That didn’t deter me, though, and I made my way to their current spot on SE Gladstone, which wasn’t too far away. When I arrived, I was disappointed to learn they were out of pizza for the day. The staff was really friendly and told me that although it happens from time to time, it's pretty rare. I was let down, but I was determined not to let that ruin my day, so I made an effort to return the next day. I had a horrible day at work and in my personal life that day, and all I could think about was getting that pepperoni and pineapple pizza to cheer me up. I called ahead and showed up even earlier this time, only to be told again that they had sold out. They were deeply apologetic. At that point, I was facing some pretty devastating things in my personal life, along with a big health scare and not getting this pizza that I was so excited for 2 days straight really felt like those cartoons where the clouds would follow the character and just dump rain while everyone else is perfectly dry. Some time had passed, and I received a call from PCQ. They had somehow gone through the trouble of tracking down my phone number to tell me that my next pizza would be free of charge. That gesture was honestly the first bright spot I'd had all summer, and I was so grateful. I finally returned to PCQ about two months later and mentioned that I had been told my pizza would be comped. The two female staff members (Mikayla? I apologize; I didn’t catch the other persons name) lit up and replied, “Phil?” I was floored. I couldn’t believe they remembered my name. Even before eating my food, I knew this was an experience I would treasure for years to come.

(Food review on a...

Pizza is decent, one or two of their pizza options are pretty good if they end up actually keeping them on their menu. Price for what you get is kind of expensive, especially regarding the size of the pizzas, and the fact that they don’t serve single slices. They also tend to close earlier than their stated hours of business, and are rude about it if you ask them if they’re still open, when it’s not yet their stated closing time. I just don’t see the point in displaying hours of business that aren’t followed. If you’re going to close earlier than the business hours shown, then just change your business hours. It also doesn’t make sense business wise, when this place is located 50 ft or less away from Holy Ghost, an upscale bar and cocktail type lounge. You’d think you’d want to take advantage of the customers of Holy Ghost wanting something nearby to eat after they’ve been drinking, especially when the other few food businesses within walking distance in the area tend to...

5/5 for this spot with no hesitation. I was so intrigued when I first read about Pan con Queso being house within Living Haus. I knew I'd have to go because my husband loves Mexican food and Latin inspired flavors so how could not go and try these pizzas?

We dropped by on a weekend night and thankfully were not hit with too bad of a crowd. We got the papas con chorizo and the elote pizza and both of them absolutely wowed us. The 9 inch pizzas are honestly the perfect size for one person -- the crust is thin and crispy without being too flimsy or too little. I can't comment on the chorizo but my husband finished the pizza in under 5 minutes so I think that says a lot.

I hope this place sticks around because we will definitely be back to have more pizza and try any other seasonal goodies...